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Drew Harwell | Tampa Bay Times | “Florida ended 2013 once again as America’s reigning foreclosure king, though amid the housing recovery new cases plunged, RealtyTrac data released Thursday shows. About 107,000 new foreclosures began last year in Florida, a 31 percent drop from 2012, as banks continued to tussle with homeowners in the aftermathRead more

Ted Jackovics | Tampa Tribune Staff | “Florida will need a few more years to climb completely out of the hole left by the recession, but various economic indicators are gradually returning to typical growth levels, the Legislature’s research office said in its latest report. Trends are positive for two key elements of Florida’s economy: Personal income growthRead more

Pamela M. Prah | Stateline | “Some of the states hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis aren’t spending millions of dollars that the federal government has set aside to help struggling homeowners, a new report shows. Of $7.6 billion the federal government has provided in the “Hardest Hit Fund” to help homeowners, states have disbursedRead more

Roger Weeder | First Coast News | “Foreclosure courts are in full swing across the state, including Duval County, which has 2,700 cases that date back to before 2010. Six judges are handling the load, holding hearings four days a week and clearing out nearly 300 cases a week, according to the Clerk of Courts office. In GreenRead more

Francys Vallecillo | World Property Channel “The median price for Florida’s existing single-family homes sold in October was 16.6 percent higher than last year, marking the 23rd consecutive month of yearly price increases, according to Florida Realtors. The statewide median sales price for single-family homes reached $169,000 in October. The median price for townhomes/condos reachedRead more

Alyssa Gerace | Reverse Mortgage | “On Tuesday, Florida will reportedly announce a new program aimed reverse mortgage borrowers in the state who have defaulted on their loans after struggling to remain current on their taxes and insurance. The Florida Housing Finance Corporation is introducing the Elderly Mortgage Assistance Program as part of its $1 billion Hardest Hit Fund. It’sRead more

By Josh Salman | Herald-Tribune | “Florida’s $1 billion program to help prevent foreclosures in the wake of the housing crisis continues to diversify. The Florida Housing Finance Corp. announced Tuesday it would earmark $25 million of its Hardest-Hit Fund to help elderly homeowners with reverse mortgages. The agency says the new program will help recession-battered FloridiansRead more

CHARLENE CROWELL | NNPA | “With the annual holiday season approaching, many across the country will soon be celebrating with families and loved ones. Many such gatherings will toast the season and its blessings. But for families still troubled by delinquent mortgages and foreclosures, this time of year has another meaning. These consumers are wonderingRead more

JUNE FLETCHER | Scripps Howard News Service | “Steven and Janet Sparker never planned to leave the house they purchased in 2006 in Golden Gate Estates in the southwest section of Florida. But when Janet, 57, lost her six-figure job, and the home’s value fell by more than half from the $585,000 they had paidRead more

Charles Billi | WTSP | “Thanks to new flood insurance legislation, the watch word in real estate is “panic.” Panic if you’re a real estate investor, agent, buyer or seller- thanks to skyrocketing premiums. We’ve seen the Pinellas County meetings in the past few weeks packed with frightened residents. Now, more concern arises at an informationRead more